Perfect for summer: Adventurous reading just for fun

School is a full-time job. The better part of the day, five days a week, is spent in class. Then, there's homework to do at night and often on the weekends. And, many kids are involved in extra-curricular activities: sports, lessons of one kind or another, clubs, and so on.

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Posted May. 17, 2013 at 12:01 AM

Posted May. 17, 2013 at 12:01 AM

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School is a full-time job. The better part of the day, five days a week, is spent in class. Then, there's homework to do at night and often on the weekends. And, many kids are involved in extra-curricular activities: sports, lessons of one kind or another, clubs, and so on.

Sometimes children are overloaded with structured activities. Just as adults need a break from their work, so do kids. Children should have time to spend in creative play and time to literally do nothing — just lay around, take a nap, stare at the ceiling or the clouds or into space.

There should be, of course, a balance between work and play, doing something and doing nothing. Reading a great book just for fun hits that balance right on the head; it isn't work and it isn't flopping — it's constructive entertainment. What a great way to relax.

Judy and Stink and their parents were on a ferry boat en route to an island off the North Carolina coast. The siblings were very excited, especially Stink, who desperately wanted to meet pirates, look at shipwrecks, and find gold and treasure. Stink's enthusiasm was quickly transferred to his older sister, Judy. As they disembarked onto the island, they were met by Cap'n Weevil, a pirate with an eye-patch, a scraggly beard and a treasure map!

Judy and Stink couldn't believe their good fortune — first thing tomorrow morning was the start of the third annual Pirate Island Treasure Hunt. The first to collect 16 pieces o' eight would win a pirate gold doubloon and a ride on Blackbeard's own private ship. All Judy and Stink had to do was follow the trail of clues, solve the riddles to collect the pieces o' eight, and keep ahead of their competition — Tall Boy and Smart Girl.

Hilarious and brimming with adventure and riddle-solving, this selection is pure fun.

Clymer Library, 115 Firehouse Road, Pocono Pines

Choices this week: "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" by Laura Numeroff; "Let's Go Camping with Mr. Sillypants" by Mary Brown; "What! Cried Granny: An Almost Bedtime Story" by Kate Lum

Journey with Captain Bob, the very busy policeman who makes his rounds in his bug patrol car solving one bug problem after another. From unruly ants swarming a doughnut to speeding spiders on their motorcycles, roaches in protest over poor living conditions and more, Captain Bob is always there to quickly solve any problem on his beat.

Hilarious, colorful illustrations are the perfect backdrop for this fun rhyming story of one hard-working bug cop — Captain Bob.

Dinosaurs of many colors are on the move, driving different vehicles as fast as they can. Red dinosaur zooms through the desert, Brown dinosaur splashes quickly through the rain, Blue dinosaur charges up a mountain, Green dinosaur chugs along as quickly as his tractor can go, Purple dinosaur bumps through the forest at neck-breaking speed, and Orange dinosaur bounces and jumps over puddles on a motorcycle. Where are all of these dinosaurs hurrying to and why? Let's just say the ending is a pleasant "surprise."

A clever book that introduces colors, dinosaurs and lots of things that go zoom, little kids will love this selection.